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Jackson's sweet dream

And Dukakis continues to have an outside shot at delivering a knockout punch. For all his vagueness, Dukakis has proved surprisingly strong in the South. He has funneled mega-dollars into Florida, where significant proportions of elderly people, Northern transplants, and Jews seem to ensure him a solid win. His ads there emphasize Dukakis’s executive experience and the so-called Massachusetts miracle. In one, Tip O’Neill plugs those qualities as well as Dukakis’s solicitude for Social Security recipients. In another, Tommy McIntyre, vice-president of the International Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen, talks about Dukakis’s success in creating jobs. Two others make the Massachusetts-miracle points in other ways.

At press time, he remained competitive even in Teas, where solid support from Hispanics, the Austin high-tech crowd, and the Dallas and Houston yuppies has kept him among those vying for the lead in a tough race. A win there would give Dukakis a head of steam that would make his candidacy hard to stop. Conversely, a loss to Gephardt in Texas will render Super Tuesday little more than a stalemate. But even if that happens, Mike Dukakis is sure to survive. And at this point, the only other candidate certain to be among the living when the South’s votes are counted is Jesse Jackson.